Sports swing training aid

ABSTRACT

Sports swing training aid with a resilient cushion, the cushion at least four,inches thick with two parallel flat surfaces of at least 430 square inches, the cushion enclosed in a tough, durable fabric and having standard attachment devices affixed to each corner of one side of the flat parallel surface . A preferred embodiment includes the resilient rectangular cushion is constructed of an internal block of polyurethane foam and covered by abrasion resistant nylon or canvas with four D rings located on the corners of one parallel side.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

DESCRIPTION OF ATTACHED APPENDIX

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to the field of sports practice aidsand more specifically to a sports swing training aid.

For a tennis player to hit a ball with the most efficiency, it requiresthat the player hit the ball with the racquet face parallel to aninvisible vertical plane that is perpendicular to the ground.

If the racquet face is turned up, the ball will go out of the court. Ifthe racquet face is turned down, the ball will go into the net. Becausethe swing is so fast, the player is not able to see whether or not theface is vertical at impact.

Prior technology in this field includes videotaping the swing with acamcorder with a high-speed shutter. However, the method is costly, timeconsuming, and not very practical. Another alternative is to hire aninstructor, but that is also expensive. There is a need, therefore, fora simple device that provides immediate feedback to the player as towhether or not the racquet is vertical at impact.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary object of the invention is to provide a swing training aidthat gives immediate feedback to a tennis player as to whether on notthe player's racquet is vertical at impact.

Another object of the invention is to provide a swing training aid thatgives the tennis player a convenient method for practicing his or herswing without having to chase balls, hire a ball gun, hit balls againsta wall, or find someone to hit balls to them.

Another object of the invention is to provide a swing training aid thatallows a tennis player to safely develop maximum racquet speed withoutfear of hitting a ball out of the court or over a fence.

A further object of the invention is to provide a swing training aidthat gives the tennis player experience in hitting high, low and mediumballs without having to chase balls, find a hitting partner or hire atennis instructor or ball gun.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a swing training aidthat encourages a tennis player to experiment with different types ofbody movement in order to generate greater racquet head speed peed.

Still yet another object of the invention is to provide a swing trainingaid that gives immediate feedback to the tennis player as to the speedof his or her racquet at impact.

Another object of the invention is to provide a swing training aid thatprovides an efficient means to practice a tennis serve without having tochase balls and yet still have a target to hit.

Another object of the invention is to provide a swing training aid thatis lightweight and portable.

A further object of the invention is to provide a swing training aidthat can be easily used at the tennis court or at home.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a swing training aidthat is inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following descriptions, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, wherein, by way of illustration and example, anembodiment of the present invention is disclosed.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, there isdisclosed sports swing training aid comprising: a resilient rectangularcushion, said cushion at least four inches thick with two parallel flatsurfaces at at least 430 square inches, said cushion enclosed in atough, durable fabric and having D ring type attachment rings affixed toeach corner of one side of said flat parallel surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings constitute a part of this specification and includeexemplary embodiments to the invention, which may be embodied in variousforms. It is to be understood that in some instances various aspects ofthe invention may be shown exaggerated or enlarged to facilitate anunderstanding of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a front plan view of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side section view of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of the D ring holding method of theinvention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a person hitting the invention with atennis racquet.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a person hitting the inventionincorrectly with a racquet.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a person using the invention in a highserve position.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a person using the invention for battingpractice.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the present invention attached to achain link fence.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiment are provided herein.It is to be understood, however, that the present invention may beembodied in various forms. Therefore, specific details disclosed hereinare not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a basis for theclaims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the artto employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailedsystem, structure or manner.

Referring now to FIG. 1 we see a front plan view of the invention 100which is essentially a cushion held onto a vertical flat surface such asa wall or fence by D rings 2, 4, 6, 8. The front surface of the cushion10 is approximately twenty four inches wide and eighteen inches high.FIG. 2 shows a side section view of the invention 100. A resilientcushion material 12 such as polyurethane foam is enclosed in a toughflexible fabric housing comprised of front wall 10, parallel rear wall11 and surrounding side wall 22. A material such as urethane coatednylon or canvass is the preferred enclosure because it can withstandrepeated hitting with a tennis racquet or bat, with minimal abrasion andtear. A minimum thickness of four inches has been found to be adequate.My experiments have shown that a thickness of five inches is ideal. Thethickness of the device 100 prevents the user from hitting his or herknuckles against the fence or wall upon which the device 100 is mounted.The cushion is held to a vertical wall 16 by means of standard L shapedhooks 14, 18 or a nails or other standard attachment means engaging Drings 2, 8. Of course, a person may decide to attach the cushion 100 bythe top D rings 2, 4 alone, however a more secure attachment requiresall four D rings. The space between rear panel 11 and the wall 16 isactually quite small, and only shown larger here for clarity purposes.FIG. 3 is a partial perspective drawing showing clearly D ring 2attached to fabric enclosure 22 via strap material 20. The D ring 2 isremovably attached to a standard L shaped hook 14. FIG. 4 shows aperspective view of a person 24 hitting the present invention 100 with atennis racquet 26. This view shows the proper way to hold the racquetduring a swing. That is, the racquet head is parallel to the front face10 of the invention 100 upon impact. During a practice session the userstands to one side of the device 100 and swings his or her racquet 26into the device 100 as if swinging a forehand or backhand stroke. Thedevice can be set at any height in order to represent high, medium orlow balls. FIG. 6 shows a person 24 practicing to hit an overhead ball.This configuration can also help with practicing the serve. FIG. 5 showsa person 24 swinging the racquet 26 incorrectly onto the cushion 26where the racquet head is not parallel to the front 10 of the cushion.If the racquet head is not vertical at impact, the tennis player willget immediate feedback. The first is audible. When the racquet heat hitsthe device 100 squarely, trapped air is expelled with a characteristicthud. When the racquet head does not strike the device squarely, a thinsound is produced. The second form of feedback is kinesthetic. When thedevice is struck with a racquet that is not perpendicular, the racquetgrip will twist in the hand. When the racquet is struck with a verticalface, there is no twisting felt in the hand. As a tennis playerincreases racquet head speed, there is a tendency for the racquet faceto tilt up. The device will provide immediate feedback so that theplayer can then adjust his or her grip to insure a vertical racquet faceat impact. The tennis player can also judge the speed of his or herracquet at impact by the loudness of the sound. This will encourage theplayer to swing the racquet faster without the fear of losing any tennisballs. As the user improves his or her skill, they will be rewarded witha louder and louder thud. The device can also be used for practicing theservice motion by being mounted high on a wall or fence as shown in FIG.6. FIG. 7 shows that the cushion can also be used for batting practicefor baseball. FIG. 8 shows the invention 100 attached to a chain linkfence 60. The invention 100 is held to the fence 60 by loops of string62 or other standard attachment materials to D rings 4 located on thecorners of the cushion. This application is useful because many tenniscourts are surrounded by chain link fences, so a tennis player canpractice his or her swing using the invention 100 while in closeproximity to a tennis court.

While the invention has been described in connection with a preferredembodiment, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention tothe particular form set forth, but on the contrary, it is intended tocover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may beincluded within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by theappended claims.

1. sports swing training aid comprising: a resilient cushion; saidcushion at least four inches thick with two parallel flat surfaces of atleast 430 square inches; said cushion enclosed in a tough, durablefabric and having standard attachment devices affixed to each corner ofone side of said flat parallel surface.
 2. Sports swing training aid asclaimed in claim 1 wherein said resilient cushion is constructed of aninternal block of polyurethane foam and covered by abrasion resistantnylon or canvas.
 3. Sports swing training aid as claimed in claim 1wherein said cushion is constructed of an air bladder.
 4. Sports swingtraining aid as claimed in claim 1 wherein said cushion is approximately24 inches wide and 18 inches high and 5 inches thick.
 5. Sports swingtraining aid as claimed in claim 1 wherein said cushion is rectangularin shape.
 6. Sports swing training aid as claimed in claim 2 whereinsaid abrasion resistant coating is polyurethane.
 7. Sports swingtraining aid as claimed in claim 1 wherein said standard attachmentmeans are D rings.